Tape condenser



Nov. 8, 1927. I 1,648,064

J. F. SCHIMEK TAPE CONDENSER Filed Jan. 25. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 8, 1927.

.J. F. SCHIMEK TAPE CONDENSER Filed Jan. 25. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

JOSEJPH .F. SCHIMEK, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

mm CONDENSER.

Application filed January 2.5, 1926. Serial No i-33,6 15.

The present invention relates to condense-rs for carded material of the type in which a plurality of moving tapes separates the dotted sliver and conveys the same to rubbing aprons which transform the ribbons into roving, the latter being then wound on a take-upspool. As previously constructed, such condensing machines have always employed leather tapes which have proven unsatisfactory for the reason that the leather either stretches and becomes slack, or breaks, either of whichoccurrences necessitates shutting down the machine to piece up a new tape, with resulting loss of production.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate stretching and breaking of the tapes by the use of tapes of steel or other metal, and in order to permit the use of metal tapes, my invention also conten'iplates certainchanges in the general arrangement of the machine itself. ,VVhile it is known that steel and other metals in strip forin will last for an indefinitely long time if not unduly flexed, there has never been a tape condenser using steel or metal tapes prior to my invention thereof to the best of my knowledge and belief, and all previous types of tape condensers have been so constructed as to give the tapes one or more twists, usually an Odd number, by reason of which steel or metal tapes could not be used in condensers as previously built, consequently, the improved arrangement of tapes contemplated by the present invention, whereby no twist is made in thetapes, is of the utmost importance in carrying out the invention. The above and other advantageous features will hereinafter appear with reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich Fig.1 is a diagrammatic view of a shallow groove condenser embodying my inventiou.v

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View of a deep groove condenser embodying my invention.

Fig. v3 is a diagrammatic view of across tape condenser embodying myinvention.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the condenser shown in Fig. 1, the tapes being removed.

, 5 is a front elevation of the condenser shown inQFig. 2, the front guide rolls and thetapesbeing removed.

Fig} 6 is a front elevation of the condenser shown in vFig. 3, some of the rolls being omitted. I

Fig.7 illustrates a. portionof an endless driven, and that they,

metal tape suitable for the. purpose of the invention.

Fig. 8 1s illustrative of the surface of a steel tape for use'inconnection with the i nvention.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the ditferentfigures.

Inwthe drawings, which are more or less diagrammatic, no frames are shown and no means indicated for driving the various rolls, for it is obvious that any ;usua lor suitable frames may be used and any desired mechanical means employed for drivin the rolls, without affecting the invention. fiOW- ever, owing to theuse of twistless steel or metal tapes, it is possible to dispense with a positive drive for the guide rolls and the delivery rolls, since such a positive drive was originally intended as a corrective meas ore for one of the defects of the leather tapes, that is, to relieve them of stretching strain. So in all the illustrative embodiments of my invention it may be considered that only the dividing rolls are positively in turn, driveall the other rolls over which the tapes pass, through the medium of the tapes. The apron or rub rolls will, of course, be driven as formerly.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the reference numerals 1, 1, indicate the di viding rolls, around which pass the tapes 2 and 3 in the machine of Fig. 1; in the machine of Fig. 2, 4, 4, indicate the dividing rolls around which pass the tapes 5 and 6, while in Fig. 3 the tapes 8, 9, 10 and 11 pass around the dividing rolls 7. In each case, the tapes convey the carded stock in ribbon form to the pairs of aprons 12 and 13 for the upper half of each machine and aprons 14: and 15 for the lower half. Theproduct is therefore taken from the condenser tapes in four paths, this being the usual construe tion. Aprons 12, 13, Hand 15 are driven andsupported by rolls 16, 17, 18 and 19 'respectively, togetherwith similar rolls at the rear of the machine, not shown. These rolls 16, 17 18 and 19, together with, those not shown, besides moving the aprons to feed the stock, also have areciprocating motion to transform the ribbons intoroving, all in the well-known manner.

Referring now to Figs. 1 .and4, thepath of the tapes 2 and 3 will be traced, starting from the pointA, Fig. 1, where the tapes'Q roll 1.

ing roll 1 which revolves in the direction of" the arrow, froinwh'ich the tapes pass upwardly partly around an upper guide roll 20, and from thence to an upper delivery roll 21. The tapes 2 then pass downwardly to deliver the fibers to the upper pair of aprons 12, from which point the tapes move tangent to the surface of an intermediate delivery roll 22 and then around a return roll 23, to grooves 24 in the upperdividing As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the grooves 24 are spaced equally with respect to the peripheral portions 25 of the same width, upon which portions 25 the tapes 2 have been previously carried when receiving the'cardedfibers.

I In passing upwardly from the portions 25 on the dividing roll 1, then downwardly to deliver fibers to the apron 12, and then back again to the grooves 24 on the roll 1, the tapes 2 are not twisted, but only displaced laterally for a distance equal to the width of a tape. For this reason, the displacement occurs so graduallythat the tapes are not subjected to any appreciable lateral strains. Fromthe grooves 24 the tapes 2 pass around a front guideroll 2G bac-k into the grooves 24 again, and from there downwardly on the peripheral portions 25 of the lower dividing roll 1,' which portions 25. register with the grooves'24 of the upper roll, see Fig. 4. Thile on the portions 25, tapes 2 will again receive'a quarter of the carded fibers before passing around a guide roll 27 to an intermediate delivery roll 29, above which the tapes deliver the fibers to the aprons 14.. The tapes then pass upwardly around a. return roll 30 back through grooves 24, and from thence around a front guide roll 31 back to theplace of starting on'the peripheral portions 25 of the upper delivery roll 1.

The tapes 3 follow similar paths, exce'pt that for the upper half of the machine,they gov direct from the roll 20110 the intermediate roll 22, thus delivering the fibers to the aprons 13, while for the lower half of the machine,.thetapes 3 pass around the lowermost delivery roll 28, so as to deliver to the aprons 1 5, The lengths of the tapes 2and 3 are thus equahsince the tapes 2 travel on the long path in the upper half of the machine, and on the short path in the lower half of the machine, while the tapes 3 do just the reverse. It will also be noted that each of the tapes 2 and 3 carries two ends of material.

Figs. 2 and 5 show my inventionapplied to .adeep groove type of condenser in which the dividing rolls 4, instead of having shallike the grooves 24 of rolls 1.

low grooves I have very deep grooves 32, with peripheral portions 33 of equal width therebetween. In this embodiment, the guide rolls 20 and 27, as well as the delivery rolls 21, 22, 28 and 29, are located precisely as in Fig. 1, and the tapes 5 and 6 move over them in similar fashion. Leaving the return guide rolls-23 and 30, however, the tapes 5 and 6 ass through the deep grooves 32 to front guide'rolls34 and 35 for the top and bottom, respectively, thence around a second set of guide rolls 36 and 37 to the peripheral portions 33. In contradistinction to Fig. 1, it willbe seen that in the embodiment of Fig. 2, the returning bare portions of the tapes 5 and 6 in grooves 32 never travel for any distance closely adjacent to the fibre feeding portions, and in case longstaple woolis being handled, there is substantially no. interference with the carded material once it is laid 011 the tapes. In Fi 2 each tape carries two ends of materia, as in Fig. 1.

teferring now to Figs. 3 and 6, the dividing rolls '7 cooperate'with'guide rolls 20 and 27, and with delivery rolls 21, 22, 28 and 29 substantially as in the other embodiments;

'there are, however, no front guide rolls.

The dividing rolls 7 have shallow grooves 24 and may be, in'fact, duplicates of the rolls 1, although, in the case of the rolls 7, it is desirable that the grooves 24 be exactly equal in depth to the thickness of the tapes, so that the dividing rolls 7 and tapes 8, 9, 10 and ll will present to the incoming carded material a 'pair'o'f substantially tangent cylinders. In the cross type of Figs. 3 and (3, the tapes move as follows :Tapes 8 take the carded material around the upper dividing roll 7, around guide roll 20, and then to delivery roll 21, and the upper aprons 12. The tapes 8 then move tangentially to roll 22 around return roll 23, back to lower roll 7. Tapes 9 vary this course by going direct from roll 20 to roll 22. Tapes 10 start down around upper roll 7, then, having collected material, pass around lower roll 7 to the rolls 27, 29, 30, and return to the upper roll 7; tapes 11 vary this course by going from roll 27 to roll 28 and return. With the arrangement of Figs. 3 and 6 it will be seen that the rule is one end to one tape.

In all of the embodiments above described,

it will be noted that the tapes never twist,

because of the arrangement of the various guide and delivery'rolls; consequently the metal tapes will last a much longer time than the leather tapes heretofore employed. Furthermore the metal tapes will not stretch. When employing metal tapes in accordance with my invention, it may bev desirable to have-tho fibre carrying side, present a frictional surface so that the fibres will more readily adhere thereto. A frictional surface may be imparted to metal in many different ways, as for example, by subjecting the metal ill) loo

tape to the process known as electro-galvanizing. Such a process leaves the metal with a comparatively rough granular surface, as indicated at 38 in Fig. 8, to which surface the carded fibres will readily adhere. It will be readily understood that a tape with roughened surface on one side, as shown in Fig. 8, is applicable to the arrangement of tapes shown in Fig. 8 where one side only of the tapes is used to convey the carded fibres, but where, as in the arrangements in Figs. 1 and 2, both sides of the tapes are used to convey the material, both sides thereof should be roughened.

My invention further contemplates a smooth joining of the ends of the tapes, for it is obvious that ordinary butt joints would tend to set up detrimental vibrations in the machine. Referring now to Fig. 7 one method of joining the ends of a tape which has proven satisfactory is illustrated, wherein the ends of the tape are dovetailed, as shown, and then a welding current passed through the ends. This weld serves to hold the end portions in alinement, while the shoulders of the dovetail take the tensile strains. In F ig. 7, the tape is shown with holes or slots 39 which serve to hold the fibres to the surface in much the same manner as does the roughened surface shown in Fig. 8.

In the accompanying claims the term frictional surface is to be construed to mean either the roughened surface as shown in Fig. 8 or the holes or slots as shown in Fig. 7, since both of these modifications have the same functional purpose.

I claim.

1. In a dividing and condensing machine for carded material, the combination with a pair of dividing rolls and a plurality of pairs of rubbing aprons located respectively above and below said dividing rolls, of a set of endless metal tapes passing around said dividing rolls and adapted to separate and divide the web of carded material at its initial contact with said machine and to deliver it in strips respectively to the rubbing aprons above and to the rubbing aprons below said dividing rolls, means for support ing said tapes above and below said dividing rolls whereby each tape always runs flatwise and is adapted to deliver the carded material to separate pairs of said aprons above and below the dividing rolls and a frictional surface on each of said tapes to hold the carded material thereto.

2. In a dividing and condensing machine for carded material, the combination with a pair of dividing rolls having spaced grooves and peripheral portions in registering relation and a. plurality of pairs of rubbing aprons located respectively above and below said dividing rolls,,of a set of endless metal tapes each passing around a portion of each of said .-dividing rolls and so arranged that eaehtape conducts two ends of the divided web of carded material and is adapted to separate and divide the web of carded material at its initial contact with said machine and to deliver the carded material to sepa rate pairs of said rubbing aprons above and below said dividing rolls, means for support ing said tapes above and below said dividing rollswhereby each tape always runs fiatwise and is adapted to deliver carded material to separate pairs of said aprons and below the dividing rolls, and whereby each tape returns after the delivery of the carded material through one of the aforesaid grooves, where it moves in the same direction as the dividing rolls at that point, and frictional surfaces on both sides of said tapeswhereby to cause the carded material to cling thereto.

JOSEPH F. SCHIMEK. 

